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Alleged Utah Scout Leaders Topple Goblin Valley Rock Formations


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Like some have mentioned, my Scouting and non-Scouting friends have been sending me links to the video and the follow-up news videos related to this story. I camped at Gobin Valley State Park several years ago and walked around among the "goblins" and felt very guilty about it. Though, It is allowed and encouraged, from what I could tell. However, it is simply against common sense and basic LNT training to push over a rock formations like this IN A STATE PARK. On the other hand, as I was teaching the LNT portion of IOLS this weekend, it gave me an excellent lead-in! Most Scouters at the course had not yet heard of the story since they were rushing to our council camp for the training.

 

I find it incredibly hard to believe that "long-time" or "veteran" Scouters--as they've been called in various media accounts--would find it acceptable behavior to destroy natural features like this. Have they looked at a handbook? BSA has encouraged conservation since the beginning! I would say I'm "speechless" but obviously I'm not...Just irritated and ready to teach more LNT!

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There's no doubt these guys are idiots and they are lying through their teeth to rationalize what they did. At the same time the death threats and the media attention is solely because they are associated with the Boy Scouts. I've been to this park and it's just a giant play ground. The kids absolutely love playing there and it shows. There are paths worn everywhere. People carve their names into the sandstone. There is not much of nature left to enjoy. The idea that these yokels destroyed some pristine natural area is a farce.
Well pack that isn't entirely true. Lemming do migrate enmass. But don't throw themselves off cliffs.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemming

 

http://barentsobserver.com/en/briefs/massive-lemming-migration

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And one of the culprit's character is turning out to be even more deplorable. He's apparently strong enough to hike around and topple a large rock, but is still suing someone for his "disability" caused in an auto accident. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/10/man-who-toppled-ancient-rock-suing-for-disability/

 

This man needs to be kicked out of the BSA.

Gee guess who just won their case.
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There's no doubt these guys are idiots and they are lying through their teeth to rationalize what they did. At the same time the death threats and the media attention is solely because they are associated with the Boy Scouts. I've been to this park and it's just a giant play ground. The kids absolutely love playing there and it shows. There are paths worn everywhere. People carve their names into the sandstone. There is not much of nature left to enjoy. The idea that these yokels destroyed some pristine natural area is a farce.
Take a look at your Wiki page and note where it says they disperse "in all directions" during maximum population size. This is a case of individuals trying to find new habitats, not migrating en masse. See if you can find the population density for that time. If you stood in the middle of one of those population 'explosions' you'd be hard pressed to actually see more than maybe one or two lemmings in any direction for as far as you could see in the tundra. The other link describes dead animals on the highway. No surprise there, it's basically a killing field for rodents. I can show you the same thing for frogs or crayfish, no migrations en masse for them either.
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I realize this is a unique geologic feature, however I find it ironic that society has deemed perfectly fine to blow up entire mountains.
Had they not chiseled the faces into Mt. Rushmore and painted them instead it would have been graffiti. :)

 

Of course putting a highway through a National Battlefield site is always a good thing.

 

Stosh

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Glad BSA acted fairly quickly on this matter by getting rid of these idiots and denouncing their actions instead of trying to defend them. BSA can now give this public-relations disaster a more positive spin by focusing on the goals and good deeds of Scouting instead.
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LNT ...bit of Irony...look to the Summitt...What kind of Trace did we Leave there..All those Natural BMX Bike Trails, The Natural Skateboard Parks..The Treehouse...The Zip Lines
That argument only holds true if it's not your ox getting gored.

 

:)

 

Stosh

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